1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wire coiling machines which form wire into coils and deposit the same in bundles suitable for a subsequent use. More specifically, it pertains to improvements in wire coiling machines which are preferably adapted for use in coiling flux-cored wire employed in welding and which machines can be used for withdrawing wire from wire draw benches.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Known in the art is a wire coiling machine which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,494 granted Apr. 25, 1961 to Joseph J. Kovaleski. The prior art machine comprises a wire bundling means mounted on a frame and including a rotatable coil forming capstan and an accumulator drum mounted below the capstan in axial alignment therewith and rotated in a fixed rotational ratio to the capstan. The accumulator drum is provided with movable normally extended support fingers whereon, in operation, wire coils from the continuously rotating capstan are accumulated. The movable support fingers are retracted and extended by a suitable means, whereby the accumulated wire coils are free to fall down (the support fingers are retracted) and wire coils are accumulating (the support fingers are extended). The prior art wire coiling machine has a wire receiving means which is placed axially below the wire bundling means and including a turntable on which a wire receiving drum is removably mounted. The drum is normally formed with a cylindrical core around which the coils of wire are dropped.
In the operation of the prior art wire coiling machine, wire is fed to the capstan and cast into coils there, which coils are fed downwardly into engagement with the wire receiving drum, which is being rotated at the same speed as the capstan or in a fixed ratio relative the same. After the wire receiving drum has been filled, the wire between the capstan and wire receiving drum is severed by any means known to the art, the rotation of the turntable carrying this drum is stopped. The filled wire receiving drum is then removed from the turntable and a new wire receiving drum is provided in its place. Then the wire coiling operation is repeated to simultaneously fill the wire receiving drum.
In the operation of the prior art wire coiling machine difficulties relating to the wire cutting operation are encountered. In a continuous operation of the wire coiling machine, the wire cutting operation is complicated in that it is to be effected over a wide range of wire coiling speeds on moving wire of greatly differing gauges. In this case, the higher the speed of wire coiling, the more distorted is the leading end of the next coil following the cutting operation. Distortion of the wire usually involves distortion of the coil, but if comes to the worst, the wire coiling process is disturbed, that is the wire is driven out of the coil forming zone and the machine has to be stopped, which naturally affects performance characteristics of the pertinent equipment.